While we celebrate the first freshman to win the Heisman in Johnny Manziel, we also wonder: Does he win the award if Texas A&M is not in the SEC but still in the Big 12? Matt Hayes examines this and so much more.

Johnny Manziel (AP Photo)

1. I don't want to get on a soapbox, but ...

As if we didn’t have enough SEC fatigue, we were reminded again last weekend of the all-powerful influence of those three overwhelming letters.

Johnny Manziel doesn’t win the Heisman Trophy if Texas A&M isn’t playing in the SEC.

Manziel doesn’t become the first freshman to win the award; doesn’t become a pop culture sensation; doesn’t have his family trying to copyright a corny nickname, without the brawn and backing of the SEC.

“After the Alabama game,” Manziel said, “(wining the Heisman) really started to get talked about.”

Here’s another way to put it: Without the Alabama win, Manziel is just another freshman phenom who doesn’t make it to New York City for the ceremony. That’s how big the Alabama win was—and how much weight the SEC pulls.

Of course, that Alabama game was on the schedule only because the SEC decided to expand and add Texas A&M and Missouri for 2012. If Texas A&M were still part of the Big 12, Manziel would be a freshman quarterback putting up big numbers in a conference known for big offense and no defense.

Manziel’s big season would be seen as a byproduct of the conference he plays in—instead of a final argument because of the conference he plays in.

If you don’t believe it, I give you exhibit A: Adrian Peterson. In 2004, he set the NCAA freshman rushing record (1,925 yards), set an NCAA freshman record with nine straight 100-yard games to start the season and led the Sooners to an unbeaten season and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

He hit every Heisman barometer and talking point—and still finished 328 votes behind USC quarterback Matt Leinart. Big 12 Heisman winners in the BCS era won it with significant work behind them in their careers, including Oklahoma quarterbacks Jason White and Sam Bradford, Texas quarterback Vince Young and Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

If you don’t think the SEC was a critical factor in Manziel’s rise from unknown in August to the Late Show with David Letterman in December, consider that he struggled mightily in two games against elite SEC teams (Florida and LSU) and still won the award. Think Griffin beats out Andrew Luck last year if he played poorly against Oklahoma or Texas?

No, he doesn’t.

So that’s six straight national titles, and four of the last six Heisman winners from the SEC.

2. Moving on

3. Big business

Let’s stop this charade and end this ridiculous notion that coaches are committed to their programs and universities are committed to coaches.

They’re both committed to one thing: winning. How they go about it is more similar than you’d think.

When Bret Bielema leaves a Wisconsin program on top of the Big Ten for a second-tier program in the meatgrinder SEC; when Tommy Tuberville leaves Texas Tech for the unknown at Cincinnati; when Butch Jones says he’s committed while he’s interviewing at three schools; when Charlie Strong publicly states that he’s choosing between two schools and you’ll have his answer in the morning, well, I think we’ve finally had our Come To Jesus moment.

When Kansas fires Turner Gill after two seasons; when Ellis Johnson is let go after one; when Maryland pulls back on James Franklin’s coach-in-waiting offer; when Notre Dame pays Charlie Weis $18 million to walk away, well, I think we can all see the Pollyanna notion of this beautiful amateur sport is really just a cold, hard—and more times than not, brutal—business.

Three years ago, and within the first week of Tubs taking the Texas Tech job, we spoke on the phone and the subject eventually turned to why in the world he took the job in the first place?

“In the first week here, I’ve seen 80 degrees, an ice storm and snow. And the movers were late. So there’s that,” Tuberville deadpanned.

A year later, after his first season in Lubbock, the Big 12 was having this big hoopty-doo at its annual Media Days, where it was rebranding as a conference and introducing all the coaches on a lighted stage with powerful music trumpeting their grand entrance.

Only Tubs wasn’t there. He had, according to Tech officials, a previous engagement. Maybe the real surprise is that Tuberville lasted three years.

Coaches, if you haven’t noticed by now, have egos. All of them. It’s what makes their personality such a perfect fit for their profession.

They think they can make it work anywhere, and if they can’t, there’s always the next job. And you know why there’s always the next job?

Because universities are always looking for that championship season; always trying to better themselves to generate more revenue to help run athletic programs, to build better facilities to attract bigger and better coaches and to give back to academics.

The real losers in this charade: you and your wallet.

Bobby Petrino (AP Photo)

4. The Power of Petrino

Don’t you just love how Dame Destiny works?

Western Kentucky opens next season with a talented, experienced team and a new coach (Bobby Petrino) eager to prove his worth.

The Hilltoppers begin next year against Kentucky (in Nashville) and a road game at Tennessee. Two games, two chances for Petrino to show two, down-on-their-luck SEC schools, what they’re missing.

Do I really need to explain what happens next?

Barry Alvarez (AP Photo)

5. The Weekly Five

Nails Alvarez will step away from his athletic director desk for a few weeks and coach Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. Five instant reactions from Alvarez when he walks through the tunnel at the majestic holy ground tucked beneath the San Gabriel Mountains:

1. “Been here, won this.”

2. “This ain’t no interim, folks.”

3. “Wait, didn’t we road-grade you the last time we were here?”

4. “Gonna get me a big-ass steak after we win this thing.”

5. “(looking to the other sideline) Wussies.”

Willie Taggart (AP Photo)

6. The one that got away

Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart watched Willie Taggart bring his little ol’ Western Kentucky team into Commonwealth Stadium this year and beat the Wildcats— and then didn’t hire him the first chance he could.

Later in the silly season for coaches, USF made the tough choice of firing Skip Holtz and the wise move of hiring Taggart—a brilliant, organized, meticulous, tireless recruiter who will win big.

Without the game day fog.

Will Muschamp (AP Photo)

7. Hired to be fired

So you want to be a coach, huh kid?

There are 124 FBS coaches, and about midway through sits Florida coach Will Muschamp, who according to Patrick Stevens of The Washington Times, is 62nd in coaching tenure.

And he was hired Dec. 11, 2010.

8. Careful what you wish for

All that whining and crying for access, and for what? To lose money for everyone involved.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Florida State has sold “around 4,000” tickets to the Orange Bowl according to school officials, and have now cut in half the price of those tickets—from prices ranging from $225 to $75, down to $112.50 to $37.50.

Northern Illinois has sold, according to school officials, “about 5,000”—including tickets that school is giving to students (for free). Both schools will lose significant dollars in the deal.
Then there’s the city of Miami, which doesn’t do college sports and won’t sell squat for the game. There’s a dangerous reality that the storied Orange Bowl game could look a lot like a regular season Miami Hurricanes game.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma is playing in the Cotton Bowl and LSU is playing in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

And Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has dropped his lawsuit against the BCS.

Now that’s what I call progress!

Kevin Sumlin (AP Photo)

9. Big state, big stage

First Texas decided it didn’t want to play Texas A&M after the Aggies left the Big 12 for the SEC.

Then Texas decided, I mean, told, the Cotton Bowl they didn’t want to play Texas A&M in what could be the best non-championship game bowl of the season. The Longhorns, instead, will play in the Alamo Bowl against Oregon State.